Electrical fixture



April 27, 1943. H, HUBBELL. 2 ,317,382

ELECTRICAL FIXTURE Filed June 10, 1941 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL FIXTURE Harvey Hubbell, Long Hill, Conn.

Application June 10, 1941, Serial No. 397,371

9 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical fixtures,

particularly wall outlet receptacles and similar devices, although it is not limited to them, and has for an object to provide means incorporated in the fixture to facilitate preparation of the lead wire for fastening to the binding screws or other means of fastening the lead to the fixture. It is also an object of the invention to provide means on the fixture for readily determining the proper length of lead .wire which should be stripped of its insulation, and also to provide means for easily bending the wire to provide a loop for embracing the binding screw.

' With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is however to be understood that I am not limited to the specific details and arrangement shown, but may employ various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a front elevation of an electrical outlet receptacle showing my invention applied thereto, parts being broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of one end portion of the device with part of the rear wall broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 4 is a section and end view, the section being substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, but with the top or front section of the insulating body removed.

In installing electrical fixtures very often the electrician is careless in stripping the insulation from the end portion of lead wires to be attached to the fixture, and he may strip the wire for too great a distance, thus exposing more wire than is necessary, with the result that bare wire is left which might later cause short circuits or grounds, or'too little wire may be stripped so that the insulation may interfere with making the proper connection to the fixture, or it might result in a poor connection. Also the lead wires to be connected to these fixtures are often of relatively heavy gauge so that it might be diificult to readily bend the wire to apply the proper loop for attaching it to the binding screw, the wires employed being commonly of Number 14, 12 or 10 gauge. To overcome these objections I have dee vi seda construction in which the proper length of wire to be stripped of insulation can be readily determined, and also in which the stripped end portion of the wire may be readily bent to provide the proper loop or bend to embrace the binding screw, so that it may be readily placed about the screw and clamped in position without the use of other tools than an ordinary screw driver. This combination of indicating and bending means thus facilitates the preparation of the lead wire and its application to or connection with the fixture and also insures the proper connection.

The invention is shown as applied to a wall out let receptacle, but may be applied to other electrical fixtures, such as switches, or similar devices. In the illustration shown the fixture comprises a body it of insulating material comprising two sections, as a rear or bottom insulating section H and a front or top insulating section l2, secured together in the usual manner by one or more screws, not shown. The lower section H is provided with chambers 13 in which are mounted receptacle contacts it, those shown being for a duplex receptacle comprising two sets of these contacts. The corresponding contacts on the same side of the two receptacles include the connecting bar it in which is one ormore binding screws 5 for connecting the lead wires to the contacts. The heads of these binding screws are in recesses ll opening through the side of the body where they are accessible for wrapping a lead wire I 8 around the shank of the screw under the head for clamping it between the head and the bar It. The front or top member I2 of the body has the usual entrance slots 19 over the contacts [4 for insertion of the conf tact blades of an attachment plug cap to en-' gage the spring contacts I4.

The fixture shown also has means whereby the lead wire may be connected with the contacts without bending it into a loop. For this purpose there is threaded on the shank of the screw it a movable clamping member 20 located to the rear of the bar portion l5. This clamp is offset at 2| and 22. The lead wire 23 is shown as clamped between the clamp 20 and the bar [5 adjacent the bar portion 22. To guide the lead 23 to the clamping position between the bar [5 and the clamp 20 the rear wall of the body is provided with an opening 24 therethrough leading to the space between the clamp and the bar. As shown in Fig. 5 the stripped end 25 of the lead Wire 23 is inserted through the opening 24 between the bar portion i5 and the clamp 20, and then by tightening up on the binding screw [5 it is clamped in position. However, if it is desired to connect the lead wire by clamping it uh der the head of the screw, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the head of the screw is backed away from the bar portion I5 and the loop 26 0f the lead I8 is placed around the shank of the screw under the head and between the head and the bar portion l5, and then clamped by tightening the screw.

For mounting the fixture in a wall outlet box the body member is secured to a metal bridge 21 running lengthwise of the body. and having ears 28 to rest against the plaster on the wall and elongated openings 29 for screws to secure it to the mounting ears in the standard wall outlet box, not shown. This bridge extends longitudinally of the body and is located between the .two sections II and I2 of the body with the. end portions in which the slots 29 are located and to which the ears 28 are attached 'projectingbeyond the ends of the body. This bridge is offset as shown at 30 adjacent the end of the body memher, and at the inner side of this oilset and adjacent thereto the body member of insulating material is provided with a recess 3! extending from one side of the body transversely thereof and transversely of the bridge 2-! the desired distance-where it terminates in a stop shoulder 32. This provides a convenient means for easily bending the stripped end of the lead wire to form the bend or loop 26 for wrapping around the shank of the binding screw under the head thereof. This is done by merely inserting the stripped end of the lead lilinto the recess 3| until its free end engages the stop shoulder 32 as shown in dotted lines Fig. 1. Then the wire is bent around the edge 33 of the bridge 27, which in this case the edge of the ofiset 30 as shown in Fig. 1. This is done by merely swinging the wire around the edge of the bridge, and th end portion of the wire within the recess 3! is held by this recess to eiiect the bending operation as shown in full lines 1. t will be seen that this is accomplished without the use of any extra tools, and that this bend or loop may then be removedfrom the recess and the yoke and placed about the binding screw l6 under the head thereupper side of the body and terminating at its inner end in a stop shoulder 35. The distance of this stop shoulder from the side 35 of. the body member is equal to the length of wireit is desired to be stripped of insulation to form the bend or loop 26 and clamping under the head of the binding screw. Thus the installer can insert the end of the wire H8 in this groove 34 as shown in Fig. 3 with its end against the shoulder35. Then the wall 36 will indicate where the insulationis to be cut and the portion from that to theend of the wire is stripped offgiving the proper amount of stripped wire for making the bend or loop for the connection. This is then bent about the edge of the bridge as above described and indicated in Figs. land 2.

. Similarly an indication is provided for determining the proper amount the wire should be stripped for making the straight connection by means of. the clamp 20 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, For thispurpose the surface of the body H is provided with a concave groove 31, in this case leading from the opposite side of the body, and terminating at its inner end in a stop shoulder 38. The distance of this shoulder from the side wall 39 is the length of the insulation which should be stripped from the end of the wire. Thus the end of the wire 23 is placed in this groove as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 3 with its free end against the stop shoulder 38. Then the wal1.,39 indicates where the insulation should becut .and the amount that should be stripped from the wire. When this is done the stripped end is merely inserted through the opening 24 and clamped between the clamping member 20 and thebar portion I5 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

Itwill thus be seen that this construction and arrangement provides a very simple and effective means for determining the length of the free end of the wire that should be stripped of insulating material to make the best and most effective connection, without the danger of exposing too much wire, with consequent liability of a short circuit, and insuring that sufiicient wire is stripped ,to make the proper connection. Also that the relatively stilT wire can be readily bent after being stripped to form the bend or loop to be placedflround the shank of the binding screw without the use of extra tools, and that all of these loops ar made exactly uniform and of the same length and size.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention what I claim is:

1. In an electrical fixture, a body of insulating material, an electrical contact in said body, means .for connecting a lead wire to said contact, a bridge member secured to the body for mounting .the fixture in ,a wall outlet box, and said body, having a recess at one side of said bridge to receive the bared end of a lead wire and hold said end to permitbending of the wire about an edge of the bridge to shape it for securing by said connecting means.

2. Inan electrical fixture, a body of insulating material, an electrical contact in said body, a bindingscrew for connecting a leadwire with said contact, a'bridge member secured to the body for mounting the fixture in a wall outlet box, and said body'having ,arecessatone side of saidbridgeadapted to receive the-end of alead wire and retain it whilethe wire isbent about an edge of the bridge, to form a loop to embrace the bindingscrew. Y

3. In.an electrical fixture, a body of insulating inateriaLan electrical contact'in said body, a binding screw for connecting-a .lead wire with said contact, a bridge member secured to the body for .mounting the fixture in. a wall outlet box, said body having a recess at one sideof .said bridge... adapted to receive the end of a lead wire andretainitwhile thewire is .bentabout an edge ofthebridge to -form arloopto embrace the bindingjscrew, anda stop shoulderat the inner endof the recess to en age the endof, the wire to limit the amount itis inserted in the recess to determ netbe en th .o th l p. A. Inan electrical fixture, a body of insulating material, an electrical contact insaid body,.[a' b ndingscrew for connectin a lead wirebwith sa d o i acta b id e memb u e t th h dy iqygppgnting the fixture in a wall outlet boxand a-rins t ra ofisetat an end Dime-bou sa' dbody havi a. recessat theinner side ofsaid fiSfl-t. andjleading inwardly from the side f r t ee-fir to re eive thaend. of a ,lead wire and re i t whilethe. wire is ,bent, about an, edge qjlgai d offset to form a loop to embrace the binding screw.

5. In an electrical fixture, a body of insulating material, an electrical contact in said body, means for connecting a lead wire to said contact, a bridge member secured to the body for mounting the fixture in a wall outlet box, said body having a recess at one side of said bridge to receive the stripped end of an insulated lead wire and retain it while the wire is bent about an edge of the bridge to shape it for securing by said connecting means, a channel in one face of the body leading from a side edge thereof to receive the unstripped end of said wire and having a stop shoulder at its inner end to engage the end of the wire, and said channel being of a length to indicate the length of wire to be stripped for the bending operation.

6. In an electrical fixture, a body of insulating material, an electrical contact in said body, a binding screw for connecting a lead wire with said contact, a bridge member secured to the body for mounting the fixture in a wall outlet box, said body having a recess at one side of said bridge to receive the stripped end of an insulated lead wire and retain it while the wire is bent about an edge of the bridge to form a loop to embrace the binding screw, and a channel in a face of the body leading from an edge thereof to receive the unstripped end of said wire and of a length to indicate the length of wire to be stripped for the bending operation.

7. In an electrical fixture, a body of insulating material, an electrical contact in said body including a bar portion carrying a binding screw with its head at the outer side of said bar adapted to clamp a wire extending about the shank of the screw against said bar, a movable clamp at the rear of the bar operable by the screw to clamp a wire against the rear side of said bar, said head of the screw being exposed at the side of the body for placing a lead wire thereunder and said body having an opening in its rear wall leading to the clamp for insertion of the end of a lead wire to be secured by said clamp, a metal bridge secured to the body for mounting it in a wall outlet box, said body having a recess at one side of the bridge to receive the stripped end of an insulated lead wire and retain it while the wire is bent about an edge of the bridge to form a loop to embrace said screw, and channels in a face of the body leading from one edge thereof adapted to receive the unstripped end of the lead wire, one channel being of 'a length to indicate the length of wire to be stripped for bending to form said loop and the other channel being of a length to indicate the length of Wire to be stripped for insertion in said opening and secured by said clamp.

8. In an electrical fixture, a body of insulating material, an electrical contact in said body, a movable binding screw on said contact, a clamp operated by said screw to secure a lead wire to said contact, said body having an opening in its rear wall leading to said clamp for insertion of the stripped end of an insulated lead wire to clamping position, and a channel in an outer surface of said body separate from said opening leading from an edge of said surface adapted to receive the unstripped end of said wire, and said channel being of a length to indicate the length of wire required to be stripped for insertion in said opening in order for the wire to extend to clamping position.

9. In an electrical fixture, a body of insulating material, an electrical contact in said body, a binding screw on said contact with its head exposed for operation from one side of the body to clamp a wire looped about the screw under the head against the contact, means on the body around which the stripped end of an insulated wire may be bent to form the loop, and a channel in the surface of said body leading from an edge thereof to receive th unstripped end of said wire and being of a length to indicate the length of wire to be stripped for forming said loop.

HARVEY HUBBELL.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,517,5 2. April 27, 19L 5.

HARVEY HUBBELL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, sec-- 0nd column, line 18, claim 8, before the word "binding" strike out "movable" and insert the same before "clamp" in same line; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of June, A. D. 1915 Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents 

